Poems For People Who Hate Poetry

Send us a textHere I give a quick summary of chapter 2: The Gordian Knot. Then we dive into the mind of Captain Amasa Delano.One of the key values of reading great literature is the ability to enter the consciousness of another person. This is something we are unable to do in our daily lives. In Captain Delano you may find an unnerving similarity to the way that your mind (and mine!) works. 

Send us a textThis is my reading of chapter 2 of "Benito Cereno" by Herman Melville.Please note that this is part 4 of the series on this novella. In part One I have created an introduction for the text. In Part Two I have read Chapter 1: A Ship in Distress. In Part Three I have created a summary of Chapter 1 and a Closer Look into that chapter. This is part Four.Please note that the Chapters breakdown and titles are my own creation they are not Melville's. I have broken it down this way to make it easier to digest. Up next will be a summary of Chapter 2 as well as a closer look into the chapter.

Send us a textIn this episode we go over the first "Chapter" which I have titled "A Ship in Distress." Make sure you have listened to parts 1 & 2. Part 1 is my introduction to Melville's Novella. Part 2 is my reading of Chapter 1. And this part, 3, is my quick summary followed by a closer look into the chapter. I broke the Closer Look into 4 categories:1) The Odd Ship2) Aboard the Ship3) Benito Cereno - First Surmises4) Captain Amasa Delano, Whaling Ship Captain ExtraordinaireNext up will be a reading of "chapter 2."Please note these chapters are my own inventions and not Melville's. He has written this story in one non-stop narrative. I am breaking it up to help make it a little more easy too digest.

Send us a textThis is the first reading of the novella by Herman Melville. In part 1 I argued why this remains a classic story we should all read. It may help to listen to my introduction.Visit troubadourmag.com for a list of important terms, including nautical terms, that may help you to better understand the text.In the next episode I will give you a summary of this section of the story, and then an exploration of some key themes in the text so far.

Send us a textIn part one of this series I argue why it is of critical importance for all Americans to read this novella by Herman Melville before it is too late. In it are critical observations about the American spirit, and an underlying philosophy that is currently tearing us apart.Melville's story, published in 1855, is a thriller/mystery based on a true story. In 1799 an American Whaling Captain, Amasa Deleno, espies a ship in distress off the coast of Chile. As a good American, he goes to the rescue, bringing food and water. Upon boarding the ship, however, he begins to perceive odd behavior that he cannot explain.In this introduction, I describe the core epistemological quandary of this character, and of our own lives in America today.Stories should be experienced and enjoyed as stories, but nonetheless, with some guidance, I will help to show you how this classic tale can breath insight into your own daily life.

Send us a textOn this episode I talk with Troubadour Magazine's new Assistant Editor, Joe Dimon, about the three short stories we selected for his upcoming course on Science Fiction Literature. The three stories areNathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter"Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron,"David Griggs's "A Song Before Sunset."In this episode we discuss each short story and compare them. Whether or not you have read them,we give you an overview and explain there signifance.

Send us a textIn this short episode we explore the poem "Spring" by Shakespeare, from his play "Love's Labour Lost." This short two stanza poem will become clearer and clearer to you as we flesh out the four dimensions of poetry.

Send us a textKelsy Landin is a sculptor who has recently found an unexpected niche: The Nose. On the social media platform TikTok her videos have been reaching millions of young people. She had been making 60 second videos teaching different aspects of sculpting, when suddenly, one video she posted reached 4.5 million views and almost 17,000 comments.What happened? On this show we discuss that particular video (and I play the video for you) and we discuss how finding the beauty of a nose led to some very important discoveries about ourselves and art.Enjoy this conversation with Kelsy Landin.Support her work on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/SculptrixBuy a bronze https://www.thesculptrix.com/sculptures/bronzeWatch her Tiktoks @ landinartWatch her on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEotHcs3DgZQcJpOc1PsB5g

Send us a textDon't just read news articles, read poetry. 

Send us a textJeremiah Cobra is the author of the book—written during quarantine—"And Then he Shot his Cousin." We discussed the creative process for this story, the background and even the style and content. I had a wonderful time exploring the artist creations of Jeremiah. He's a literary artist worth reading.Purchase his book on amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/Then-He-Shot-His-Cousin/dp/0999904302/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jeremiah+cobra+and+then+he+shot+his+cousin&qid=1591160007&sr=8-1

Send us a textShakespeare in LUST!When most of us think of Shakespeare we think of the great love poet. He is known as one of the greatest romantic love poets of all time. Yet in this poem he rails against sex. Not romantic sex of course, but sex devoid of spirit.By the end of watching this video you'll be able to talk about this poem with anyone, and you'll have a better understanding of how Shakespearean sonnets are structured and how they operate.

Send us a textAsk someone the following two questions. First, "Is reading literature a good thing?" Then, "Do you read literature?" And it is amazing that everyone will answer affirmative in the former and negative in the latter.Do that with anything else in life and you will likely find a wide range of answers. "Is riding horseback a good thing?" Some will say yes and some will say no and some will be neutral. Then follow with the second question "Do you horseback ride,? And again you'll get a variety of answers. Try the question with 'working hard,' 'following your passion,' 'exercise,' 'eating healthy.'There is a huge disconnect in our society. We all know that reading literature is a Good and yet very few of us actually read literature. On today's episode I talked with Deanna Heikkinen from Pisan Academy to talk about the value of literature. Both Deanna and I share the missoin of attempting to bring literature to non-aca

Send us a textWho remembers those magic eye illusions from the 90s? On this episode I use Shakespeare's most famous poem to illustrate how poetry is like those illusions.Poetry begins as a meaningless jumble of lines on a page, but it ends with deep meaning. As Frost puts it, a good poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom. But how can we reach that "end?" And is it truly worth it?These are some questions I discuss with you as I explore this great and short 14 line sonnet by the great bard himself.

Send us a textOn this episode, Luc Travers and Kirk Barbera surprise each other (and hopefully you too!) with art. They chose a topic—Memory and Loss—and each chose a work of art to surprise the other with. Luc chose a painting and Kirk chose a poem. Memory and loss are part of the human experience. Whether you're 15 or 100 how we deal with loss and how we remember that which we have lost will change. In this episode Luc and Kirk will discuss two artists conception of this topic, and explore the ways in which it impacts our lives.

Send us a textPoets are thinkers. We don't see them as thinkers. But great poets have a special way of thinking that can benefit us all.In this poem we see that type of thinking at its clearest. The poem is a simple poem about two types of love, but expressed in the way that only a poet can express it.

Send us a textWilliam Blake believed there were two contrary states battling it out within each and every individual human being. Innocence and experience. The way that we developed as unique individuals was by a "dialectic process." That is, there is a Thesis (a little boy is lost) and an Anti-thesis (The little boy is found) Together they can become a synthesis, or, a new thesis.We find this process all throughout this book of poetry by Blake.In today's episode we will be covering the two aforementioned poems. They are very short but reveal much of the way that Blake believed the human soul was developed.The Little Boy LostBY WILLIAM BLAKEFather, father, where are you going       O do not walk so fast.Speak father, speak to your little boy       Or else I shall be lost,The night was dark no father was there       The child was wet with dew.The mire was deep, & the child did weep       And away the vapour flew.Little Boy FoundBy William BlakeThe little boy lost in the lonely fen,Led by the

Send us a textIn unusual times even the usual is extraordinary.

Send us a textNathaniel Branden, a psychologist and pioneer in the study of self-esteem, said that artists and creators have an above average acceptance of the condition of aloneness. We can learn a lot from artists at any time of life, including our current situation. So how did great artists deal with isolation? What can we learn from them? How can we be better in contemplating art and our own lives?Luc Travers is an art historian and art guide who has returned to the show to explore art with us. We looked at six paintings and he describes what he believes are two huge values of studying not only the painting of great artists, but their lives as well.Luc will be putting on a multi-week course on the topic of Bonding with Great Artists. This video will be a tiny taste of all that he has to offer. I highly recommend you check it out: http://www.touchingtheart.com/bonding-with-great-artists.html?fbclid=IwAR0UkDpz4BglGgvfzwbA1Xp4WplDPK3QA1VE5fTpHkhjbDlUJQdTi-1UdyM

Send us a textIt's great to catch up with friends during this time so Chris De Pretis chatted about what's going on in the world and of course we discussed movies. All of us react differently to external tragedies and I'm personally appreciative of Chris for cheering me up.Also hear our thoughts on the similarities between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and an old but relevant film genre.

Send us a textThis is the final poem in William Blake's Songs of Innocence (1789). The theme is a simple one of "God's love.' But even if you are not religious, it is a wonderfully told poem. Hear how a poet expresses discontent and comes to an understanding of this elusive idea for Christians.